The Canberra-based university is the headquarters of the National Security College, which trains defense and intelligence officials.

Alex Joske, a China researcher for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre, told Fairfax Media that there were several possible motivations for the hack.

“ANU has involvement in important Australian government projects. This hack might have been aiming to steal information for commercial gain or for strategic or technological gain for the Chinese military,” Mr Joske said.